TEEN QUESTION/PROBLEM:
i was raped by my brother for three months in 7th grade...i kept it a secret for a long time until i told my best friend, who said if i didn't tell an adult that she would. i told my guidance officer, who told children services... who then told my parents... my parents didn't believe me and my brother denied it... ever since then my life has been miserable... i have had a boyfriend for 2 years... i love him and don't want to be alone because he is the only one who believes me... but it is hard to be with him because of what happened to me...i hate him touching me and telling me he loves me... and i am afraid he is going to do the same thing to me even though i know he would never do that... i need help but my foster parents wont get it for me because "i am a liar"...is the pain ever going to go away?

TEEN LINE WROTE:
Hi. It sounds like you're in a really overwhelming and scary situation. It must really wear on you to have your foster family call you a liar, but it was very courageous of you to report what was happening to you.

It seems like you feel a bit alone. You said that the only person who is really there for you is your boyfriend. It's normal to feel hesitant about sexual activity after you've gone through a traumatic experience. It's good that you acknowledged that you need help - you deserve to get help that will get you through this. There is a hotline called R.A.I.N.N., the Rape and Battery Hotline. R.A.I.N.N. It is 24-hours and could prove really helpful given your situation. You can call them at 800-656-4673. You can also visit their website - www.rainn.org. Also, talking to a school counselor or therapist could be really beneficial too. Therapy may help you work through some of the issues that may come along with a traumatic experience. Please call us here at TEEN LINE. You can reach us at 310-855-4673. We are open every night from 6 to 10pm PST.

a TEEN LINE teen